At BMO, we have long been a recognized leader in the field of corporate governance – and we are proud to report that our achievements continue to be noted. In 2005, The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business annual review of corporate governance practices ranked BMO second overall among 209 Canadian reporting issuers.

  Whistleblower Protection

Any BMO employee who knows of a breach of any law or our code of conduct or policies is directed to immediately report the infraction to any one of the appropriate persons and departments listed on our FirstPrinciples website. No one at BMO is permitted to retaliate against any BMO employee who provides information to, or assists investigations by, government, regulatory or law enforcement agencies relating to what that employee believes is a violation of a law or rule.

  Privacy

BMO is committed to respecting and protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information of our clients and employees. Strong privacy practices are essential to maintaining the trust of our stakeholders, and critical to the long-term success of our business.

BMO has a Chief Privacy Officer who is a member of our executive management team. The Chief Privacy Officer reports to the Board of Directors on enterprise-wide privacy matters and is responsible for privacy policy, dispute resolution, education and communications activities. This organizational structure reflects the enterprise-wide commitment to protecting and respecting personal information.

On an ongoing basis, we conduct reviews of our practices for protecting personal information. This is critical given the ever-changing technological environment. In addition, events may occur outside our organization that could affect a customer’s or an employee’s personal information. To address these situations, we provide education about security and privacy through various sources including our website.

  Complaint Resolution

Our complaint resolution process is part of our commitment to serving our customers responsibly and protecting the rights of our employees. If a dispute cannot be resolved satisfactorily either by branch staff or through the executive levels within our group of companies, a customer or employee may appeal to BMO Financial Group’s Office of the Ombudsman. As an advocate for fairness, the Ombudsman does not take sides and addresses problems or concerns in an unbiased and impartial manner. It is the duty of the Ombudsman to listen carefully, record and review the facts and then suggest possible alternatives and solutions. Every member of the Ombudsman’s office is dedicated solely to resolving customer and employee concerns and is not involved in BMO’s day-to-day operations.

  Corporate Responsibility Strategy

As one of Canada’s largest businesses and as a responsible corporate citizen, BMO Financial Group plays a key role in ensuring that Canada’s regions, cities, towns and communities remain strong and vibrant. We fulfill our responsibility by helping Canadians realize their financial dreams, contributing to our nation’s economic well-being and striving always to be an excellent employer. We also strive to build trusted relationships with the communities where we do business and to serve as stewards of our common environment.

  Social and Ethical Policies

As part of our framework for ethical decision-making, we insist that all our employees understand and respect our well-developed corporate policies on social and ethical issues. Guided by our policies, we:

• Conform with all domestic laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we operate.
• Follow truthful and ethical practices in advertising and adhere to the Canadian Code of Advertising.
• Adhere to the principles of non-discrimination and equal opportunity.
• Adhere to the principles of confidentiality and privacy in our interactions with our customers.
• Consider ethical, political, social and economic factors in addition to normal lending considerations in the development of foreign business.
• Prohibit lending to foreign customers to finance military equipment purchases that are inconsistent with Canada’s national defence policy or international treaty obligations.
• Maintain strict conflict of interest rules for employees, officers and directors.
• Take reasonable precautions to ensure that, as best we can, we provide credit only to environmentally responsible borrowers.
• Measure success in all we do by applying the principles of excellence, accountability, transparency and integrity.

  Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Policy

More than 25,000 BMO employees have completed training related to our Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Policy. Guided by the policy, we will not knowingly provide financial or other related services to individuals attempting to turn dirty money into clean money. Nor will we knowingly transact any type of business relating to property owned or controlled by or on behalf of a terrorist group.